Official 2017-18 MVCfans.com Prediction - 6th Place

[tdawgs87]

I agree most fans think their team is better than it turns out--so I'll try not to be too homer in this post

Reports from sources at practice have 6-5, 193 lb Marcus Bartley at PG, 6-5 215 lb Sean Lloyd at the two spot guard and 6-5 207 lb Armon Fletcher at Wing Guard

They are backed by 6-4 202 LB Tyler Smithpeters, 6'5' 202 lb Brendon Gooch, 6-2 175 Eric McGill and 6-2 185 lb Aaron Cook

the story at the PF and center has 6-8 205 lb Thik Bol at PF and 6-10 240 lb Kavion Pippen at Center---this all is contingent on Bol be able to face up offensively--he has developed a very good 15-16 ft Jumper and seems to play better facing the basket according to Coach Hinson--back ups are 6-9 and 6-8. 6-8 Weiher hurt himself a couple weeks ago but should be good to go by the Regular season in November. So front court is kind of problematic as far as depth. Fans would have like Hinson to have picked up a one year Big for 2017-18 but for some reason he hasn't.

As far as how good Pippen and McGill (both JUCO's last season) we'll have to see. But PG/shooter McGill finished 10th nationally in steals (85), 11th nationally in assist to turnover ratio (3.5) and 25th nationally in assists (180 assists). Pippen finished 34th nationally in Blocks with 53

What role will Wiley play hearing he has improved and looking to replace O'Brien . Don't care where SIU is picked just with how we finish which will be in the top 3

[siudawgs]

Again it's always interesting to see how others perceive things. I'm amazed people see coaches like Lansing or Simmons as better than Hinson. Lansing won his first year, had some decent teams early and then has been on a downward spiral. SIU has finished ahead of ISUb the last 2 years and probably will again this year. Even in Simmons big year two years ago, SIU only finished a game behind . It won't happen for a while again.

I'm amazed people don't consider where a coach is at when evaluating coaches.
Would you say it is easier to win at Terre Haute, Evansville, Or SIU?

Very true. SIU has the tradition, fan base and facilities to be an MVC contender in most years, and so far Hinson has not come close to making that happen. The natives are restless with good reason.

[BEARZ77]

Unless your name is/was WSU, I don't see much advantage at any other Valley school. They're all bunched with what they spend, they've all had periods when they were very good and periods when they stink. SIU had a special run, but by the time Hinson got there the program had been run into the ground by CL. I'm not saying BH is a really good coach, I'm just saying guys like Lansing and Simmons haven't done anything to be seen as better either. You see it every day, good coaches turn programs around and then either maintain them or move on. It really doesn't seem to matter where they coach, they get it done.

[Jsnhbe1Birds]

Unless your name is/was WSU, I don't see much advantage at any other Valley school. They're all bunched with what they spend, they've all had periods when they were very good and periods when they stink. SIU had a special run, but by the time Hinson got there the program had been run into the ground by CL. I'm not saying BH is a really good coach, I'm just saying guys like Lansing and Simmons haven't done anything to be seen as better either. You see it every day, good coaches turn programs around and then either maintain them or move on. It really doesn't seem to matter where they coach, they get it done.

Coaching and recruiting are two different things. Weber could recruit. Has coached a couple of good seasons but mostly not known as a good coach. Lowery was able to coach good recruits but couldn't recruit himself. Painter could coach and has since showed he could recruit at Purdue. Moser can recruit but can't coach. Muller has so far done both. Marshall has done both. Lusk can recruit but can't coach. Lansing coached well what was left to him but can't recruit. Wardle can recruit and has showed in the past he can coach. We'll see if he can make it both. Jacobsen can do both. Simmons is trash.

[siudawgs]

Unless your name is/was WSU, I don't see much advantage at any other Valley school. They're all bunched with what they spend, they've all had periods when they were very good and periods when they stink. SIU had a special run, but by the time Hinson got there the program had been run into the ground by CL. I'm not saying BH is a really good coach, I'm just saying guys like Lansing and Simmons haven't done anything to be seen as better either. You see it every day, good coaches turn programs around and then either maintain them or move on. It really doesn't seem to matter where they coach, they get it done.

Coaching and recruiting are two different things. Weber could recruit. Has coached a couple of good seasons but mostly not known as a good coach. Lowery was able to coach good recruits but couldn't recruit himself. Painter could coach and has since showed he could recruit at Purdue. Moser can recruit but can't coach. Muller has so far done both. Marshall has done both. Lusk can recruit but can't coach. Lansing coached well what was left to him but can't recruit. Wardle can recruit and has showed in the past he can coach. We'll see if he can make it both. Jacobsen can do both. Simmons is trash.

Muller's recruiting has definitely been ahead of his coaching. Until last year, the oncourt product had looked sloppy and disorganized much of the time, hence up and down results with some pretty good talent. Last year appeared to be a step forward, but a heady senior PG goes a long way.

[musiccitybulldog]

Winning in basketball is almost as much about culture as it is about talent.

I couldn't agree more.

[underdawg]

I agree most fans think their team is better than it turns out--so I'll try not to be too homer in this post
They are backed by 6-4 202 LB Tyler Smithpeters, 6'5' 202 lb Brendon Gooch, 6-2 175 Eric McGill and 6-2 185 lb Aaron Cook

the story at the PF and center has 6-8 205 lb Thik Bol at PF and 6-10 240 lb Kavion Pippen at Center---this all is
Reports from sources at practice have 6-5, 193 lb Marcus Bartley at PG, 6-5 215 lb Sean Lloyd at the two spot guard and 6-5 207 lb Armon Fletcher at Wing Guard

contingent on Bol be able to face up offensively--he has developed a very good 15-16 ft Jumper and seems to play better facing the basket according to Coach Hinson--back ups are 6-9 and 6-8. 6-8 Weiher hurt himself a couple weeks ago but should be good to go by the Regular season in November. So front court is kind of problematic as far as depth. Fans would have like Hinson to have picked up a one year Big for 2017-18 but for some reason he hasn't.
finished 10th nationally in steals (85), 11th nationally in assist to turnover ratio (3.5) and 25th nationally in
As far as how good Pippen and McGill (both JUCO's last season) we'll have to see. But PG/shooter McGill assists (180 assists). Pippen finished 34th nationally in Blocks with 53

What role will Wiley play hearing he has improved and looking to replace O'Brien . Don't care where SIU is picked just with how we finish which will be in the top 3[/quote



Darn sorry Tdawgs! I keep forgetting Wiley at 6-7 is a Guard/SF--he may have to play the four spot sometimes--he would be a so-called stretch Power forward in that he (according to my observations and coaches) has really improved his three point shot. He most resembles O'Brien in frame (though not quite as heavy) and some skills (handles ball, as a good passer, scorer and rebounder). I saw one session where he hit 20 of 30 beyond the Arc--of course it's different when one has a hand in one's face--but even so coaches are giving he, Bartley, Smithpeters, McGill, Fletcher and even Lloyd their blessing to take the three when open.

[bbtds]

Kind of surprised, but maybe I shouldn't be because fans always are biased toward their league, that the majority here think VU, which has been at least co-champion of the Horizon League 5 out of the last 6 years and winners of their last 5 games against MVC teams, will be worse than 5 other MVC teams this season. Is the MVC without Wichita State really that much better than the HL? I know you don't know us and we don't know you. I know this is a young team... but perhaps our most athletic team. 4th or 3rd maybe, but I have a hard time seeing 6th.

Here's to getting to know you better

Kind of surprised Valpo would move to a league that without WSU isn't really that much better than the Horizon.

FWAlum didn't say that the MVC wasn't that much better than the HL. He said Valpo finished as co-champs 5 out of the last 6 years in the HL and he found it hard to believe that with a record as good that Valpo would finish 6th in the MVC. If FWAlum really believed that the MVC was not much better than the HL then wouldn't he predict Valpo would finish 1st or 2nd every year for the next few years. He didn't do that. He said 3rd or 4th but not falling to 6th. He said the leagues are not as far apart for a team like Valpo that finished at least tied for first the last 5 of 6 years to fall to 6th in the MVC. I believe that all Valpo fans think it's a big move up from the HL to the MVC. We are all glad to be in the MVC with tougher competition from top to bottom. Because the HL overall was poorer in quality and had more bottom teams doesn't mean that Valpo will finish 6th in the MVC.

Didn't Wichita State finish 1st almost every year in the MVC? Will Wichita State finish 6th in the AAC because they are moving up to a conference with stiffer competition than the MVC? Will the Shockers finish below 5 other teams in the AAC? Temple? East Carolina? Tulane? South Florida? Tulsa? Connecticut? Memphis? Possibly UCF or Houston but I doubt they will finish better than WSU. That only leaves SMU and Cincinnati. They finished 1st and 2nd in the AAC.

[bbtds]

-Valpo is 5-0 against MVC teams the last 3 years

That's correct.
VALPO, has won five in a row, against VALLEY schools.

Interesting fact.......
The ACES, being that last MVC member to beat The Crusaders.
It was early in the 2013-14 season, The ACES registered the win (100-92) coming back, after being down by 25 at halftime.
Two starters from that game (Blake Simmons & Boo Gibson) are Seniors, this year.

go aces

I was at that game. If ever there was a team that benefited from the officials calls it was Evansville. Peters was grabbed, pushed and shoved all over the court in the first half. While every little touch on Balentine was called. I'll agree that Valpo had some big men that did fouled often but the fouls on Peters in the 1st half should have been called. In the 2nd half Peters, who had just returned from his hometown of Washington, IL after seeing what that f5 tornado had done to his community, finally starting hitting his shots and was allowed to breath a little because the refs finally realized how utterly ridiculous their calls were when a usually calm Coach Bryce Drew was berating them endlessly. I feel that might have been the game that Coach Bryce Drew learned not to be so passive with the officials. Peters got Valpo back to 8 by the end of the game but the 25 point lead the officials let the Aces establish in the 1st half was way too much. I don't think Peters would tell you that the tornado in his hometown and seeing many of his high school teammates homeless effected him in the first half but I don't see how it couldn't have.

Free throw difference was Evansville 34, Valpo 15.
Number of fouls called against: Evansville 14, Valpo 28.

I believe you said Evansville came back from the 25 point deficit but your faulty memory was way off. Check the box score.

http://gopurpleaces.com/boxscore.aspx?i ... ath=mbball

[COUTEAU]

-Valpo is 5-0 against MVC teams the last 3 years

That's correct.
VALPO, has won five in a row, against VALLEY schools.

Interesting fact.......
The ACES, being that last MVC member to beat The Crusaders.
It was early in the 2013-14 season, The ACES registered the win (100-92) coming back, after being down by 25 at halftime.
Two starters from that game (Blake Simmons & Boo Gibson) are Seniors, this year.

go aces

I was at that game. If ever there was a team that benefited from the officials calls it was Evansville. Peters was grabbed, pushed and shoved all over the court in the first half. While every little touch on Balentine was called. I'll agree that Valpo had some big men that did fouled often but the fouls on Peters in the 1st half should have been called. In the 2nd half Peters, who had just returned from his hometown of Washington, IL after seeing what that f5 tornado had done to his community, finally starting hitting his shots and was allowed to breath a little because the refs finally realized how utterly ridiculous their calls were when a usually calm Coach Bryce Drew was berating them endlessly. I feel that might have been the game that Coach Bryce Drew learned not to be so passive with the officials. Peters got Valpo back to 8 by the end of the game but the 25 point lead the officials let the Aces establish in the 1st half was way too much. I don't think Peters would tell you that the tornado in his hometown and seeing many of his high school teammates homeless effected him in the first half but I don't see how it couldn't have.

Free throw difference was Evansville 34, Valpo 15.
Number of fouls called against: Evansville 14, Valpo 28.

I believe you said Evansville came back from the 25 point deficit but your faulty memory was way off. Check the box score.

http://gopurpleaces.com/boxscore.aspx?i ... ath=mbball

My bad.
I wasn't at the game. Just remembered they had played that season and looked up, the outcome.
I even read the box score.
......So, my memory, is good. (seeing, as I I did recall the game)
I'll blame my error in reporting the final here on.... my....er.....Dyslexia....yeah, that's it....
I stand corrected.

go aces